Chapter 90: Tiger-Wolf Words

Tiger-Wolf Words

The second great battle at the city gate saw the Eternal Dao City side even gain a slight upper hand, yet the losses remained extremely heavy. According to the estimates of the Langhuan cultivators, the combat attrition rate reached as high as seventy percent, while the battle formation of the Yin-Yang Five Elements Dao Ancestor was nearly wiped out. Based on the information gathered through mutual contact among the cultivators, many Langhuan cultivators had also fallen in battle.

Although Eternal Dao City did not force Langhuan cultivators to go to the front lines to kill the enemy, the high rewards still tempted many cultivators who were bold and skilled. After all, if one could slay an enemy, the return was even more generous than the rewards for bringing back Jade Dew. Weighing the pros and cons, it was inevitable that some Langhuan cultivators would want to try. Yet, they did not expect that this brutal battlefield would not care about anyone's lofty ambitions. Regardless of one's background or aptitude, as long as one appeared on the battlefield and one's luck was not particularly good, the end result would be death and the dissipation of one's soul—there was no other outcome.

"To be so willing to fight and so skilled at it, I truly don't know how True Person Hengze lost." In their leisure, the group could not help but admire True Person Hengze. "At the very least, in the Dao contention at the Foundation Establishment level, the Hengze Heaven was ultimately able to gain the upper hand."

"After all, they are a Dao Ancestor capable of unfolding a Dao contention with the Yin-Yang Five Elements Dao Ancestor. Those who can contend with the Creation Dao Lord, how could they be ordinary?"

"Haha, if you put it that way, which Dao Ancestor is ordinary? Among the seventy-two Dao Ancestors in our current universe, which one did not start as a mortal being, walking step by step up to the final realm? Even if they obtained some fortuitous encounter, it still required them to have that kind of temperament. Without the courage to contend with the Creation Dao Lord, how could they possibly tame the wild and violent Heavenly Dao?"

The cultivators gathered in one place, inevitably mocking and teasing each other, arguing over every little thing. Even those Langhuan cultivators who had already joined the city defense team did not completely alienate Ruan Ci and the others. Although there was no lack of showing off, they still actively contacted them. The intention behind this was very realistic: many Langhuan cultivators had a need to exchange precious materials, but the city defense team was very busy and had no spare time to act as intermediaries for trade. It was these cultivators without official duties who could run around, facilitating the exchange of goods among the eight city gates.

Since everyone was in Eternal Dao City and the gains were extremely generous, and as they became more integrated into this place, the speed at which the city defense team cultivators absorbed spiritual energy gradually became comparable to that of Langhuan Heaven. Naturally, many cultivators wanted to improve their cultivation here. After all, in the Central Continent, materials in one's bag were not necessarily one's own; only when transformed into Jade Pool spiritual water could one say the benefits were truly in hand. Over the past few months, quite a few cultivators had successively broken through small realms, some advancing from the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment to the late-stage, which caused quite a stir in the city, and more people followed suit. However, the refining and exchange of precious medicines were still more convenient for Langhuan Heaven's own people to handle, so the black market within the Langhuan cultivators was also very prosperous.

According to Langhuan Heaven's rules, acting as an intermediary and taking a cut was a matter of course, and the profits were very generous. However, Ruan Ci and Xiao Su were not very enthusiastic about this. They were only willing to act as go-betweens for cultivators in a few city districts out of consideration that they were all fellow outsiders, but they were unwilling to intervene in trade. The other cultivators did not care, and some even secretly laughed at them for being self-righteous, assuming they must be disciples of a prominent sect. If it weren't for the fact that everyone was prioritizing cultivation now, they might have united everyone to give them a hard time.

In the blink of an eye, three months flew by, and both sides were organized and ready, launching another great battle. This battle was still a small victory for Eternal Dao City and a small defeat for the Yin-Yang Five Elements Dao Ancestor, but in terms of strength, it was a huge loss. At this point, everyone could see that as long as the Dao contention continued, the winner was actually already determined. The cultivators of Eternal Dao City could reincarnate infinitely, so even if the combat power of the Foundation Establishment cultivators was only a sliver stronger than that of the Yin-Yang Five Elements Dao Ancestor, in the endless Dao contention, even a sliver of advantage would gradually expand. After countless years, it would eventually transform into a winning momentum. If the Yin-Yang Five Elements Dao Ancestor had no other means, although the result of this battle would only be realized after infinite years, because it was irreversible, it could be said to be already in sight.

"Is time meaningless to a Dao Ancestor, just as it is difficult for us to walk through the entirety of this Eternal Dao City?"

Three months were enough for Ruan Ci and the others to explore everywhere in Eternal Dao City. On this day, the eight of them gathered again near the Azure City Gate, each speaking of what they had seen in the city. Junior Brother Fan said, "I have walked through the eight city gates with Senior Brother Ci, but we have not walked through the entire city. We cannot circle it; this might be due to the city's restrictions. But I sometimes have a thought: this city is truly infinite. Even if there were no restrictions, we would never be able to travel around it."

He was the most devoted and admiring of Ruan Ci, which everyone could see; Li Pingyan was not as loyally following as Junior Brother Fan. This tour of the Dao City was attempted by the two of them, and it took more than a month to return because flying was not allowed in the city, and they even risked walking out of the city gate, flying for a long time on the battlefield. But in the end, they did not succeed and had to turn back. Junior Brother Fan said, "We all know that walking west from the Azure City Gate is the Vermilion City Gate, and walking east is the Black City Gate. There is a clear order between the eight city gates. Logically, the White City Gate and the Black City Gate should be adjacent, but as we crossed the boundary of the White City Gate, we arrived at a completely new city district. It was not a district we had seen before being moved; all the residents had never been seen, and the shops and houses were not repeated. It was indeed a completely new location."

"If the original Dao City was only the eight-gate area, wouldn't it be a bit too small? After all, this is Eternal Dao City. Perhaps this is a kind of divine ability of the Dao City itself? After all, the residents in the city can constantly reincarnate, and new people join; there are times when even more houses are not enough. Infinite reproduction might be the original power of this city, just triggered by your act of circling it."

"Or perhaps Eternal Dao City originally had those areas, but as time peeled away, the space became more and more fragmented. Only now, as we many cultivators have integrated into it, making up for the origin, can it manifest more of its original appearance."

Everyone expressed their own opinions, speculating endlessly about the current situation of Hengze Heaven, and their attitudes became more and more serious. Over these three months, they had explored the areas under the jurisdiction of the eight city gates one by one, and had walked through all the weak points they could think of, but none had found any hope of opening up space and returning to the shore. At this time, everyone had been in Hengze Heaven for half a year. In another three months, according to custom, the Hengze Jade Dew would be born. If no one obtained it after it was born, it would slowly dissipate into the heavens and earth, disconnecting from the Langhuan Zhou Heaven. No one could say what the fate of everyone would be then; it should not be very good, because when Hengze Heaven opened next time, no one had ever encountered the Langhuan cultivators who had been lost inside before. Thinking about it, during those thousand years of latent time, they probably all died due to the lack of spiritual energy.

The tighter the time, the more urgent everyone felt. Even those cultivators in the city defense team were secretly concerned about how to return, so they frequently contacted the eight of them, but they were much more optimistic, only feeling that when the time came and the Jade Dew was born, the way back would naturally appear. The eight of them no longer looked at these cultivators with ordinary eyes, and dared not interact too much, lest they also be affected. In the dark, their attitudes changed, and they were no longer actively looking for a way out.

"If the Dao City also needs to absorb the origin to manifest the areas it once had, it means its origin is very scarce and on the verge of shattering. Then many things here can be viewed as a large-scale illusion array." Xiao Su was one of the people with superior insights, and only he had been keen on exploring the essence of Hengze Heaven from the beginning. At this time, while speaking, he looked at Ruan Ci inquiringly. "Moreover, since this is an inner-scene heaven and earth, there must be Dao Ancestor remnants. We all know that in the inner-scene heaven and earth of Nascent Soul cultivators, there are often remnants with initial humanity. Dao Ancestor remnants might have even higher spirituality than ordinary people. Then, is it reasonable to treat this place as a large-scale illusion array hosted by someone, Junior Brother Ci?"

Ruan Ci said, "Senior Brother Su's meaning is that the purpose of this illusion array is to keep us all here to enrich the origin. And the illusion array itself can manipulate the location where the Hengze Jade Dew is born, so it might choose the location of the Hengze Jade Dew's birth in the center of the battlefield, or even during a great battle. In this way, unless one is an outstanding member of the city defense team, it would be impossible to obtain the Jade Dew?"

The conversation between the two was already very convoluted, but the other six all showed expressions of listening. Xiao Su said, "Correct, illusion arrays also have certain laws to follow. All arrays in the world have flaws, but the higher the attainments of the array master, the smaller the flaws. I am wondering if the Hengze Jade Dew is the key to breaking the array, and the array master will use the fact that we are unwilling to intervene in the Dao contention to limit our efforts to break the array."

Ruan Ci did not speak, her face showing contemplation. Senior Sister Mu said, "An illusion array is nothing more than the manipulation of the human heart. In my view, those fellow Daoists in the city defense team are actually already puppets of True Person Hengze. Some of them even chose to break through their realm here, which can be said that their hearts have been completely opened to True Person Hengze. If all the cultivators in the city defense team are assimilated to this extent, then after the Jade Dew is born and obtained by them, it is actually equivalent to returning to the hands of the True Person. It will be extremely difficult for us to snatch it from their hands."

Junior Brother Fan could not help but praise, "Senior Sister Mu is worthy of being a high disciple of the Guiyi Sect. These words have benefited me a lot. My understanding of illusion arrays will be raised to a higher level because of this."

Senior Sister Mu blushed slightly and smiled, "Junior Brother Fan is truly sweet-tongued. I am just stating some of my own fallacious views. In fact, we still don't know whether this Hengze Heaven is a complete inner-scene heaven and earth, or just the remnants of the Jade Pool and Dao foundation... If it is the former, these guesses are all empty, and even if we try our best, we cannot escape from the hands of the Dao Ancestor."

Shen Qi said coldly, "It must be the latter. Langhuan Heaven is the place protected by the Dongyang Dao Ancestor, and the other secular sects keep a low profile and guard themselves. If Hengze Heaven were truly a complete inner-scene heaven and earth, how could the Dongyang Dao Ancestor tolerate such power intersecting with the Langhuan Zhou Heaven regularly? Moreover, a complete inner-scene heaven and earth is a fallacy in itself."

After he finished these few sentences, he was too lazy to say more. Xiao Su smiled and supplemented for him, "For a Dao Ancestor, a complete inner-scene heaven and earth is a great heaven. Even for a Cave Heaven True Person, a complete inner-scene heaven and earth must be larger than the Eternal Dao City we can travel through now. More importantly—if the inner-scene heaven and earth is still complete, why did the owner fall? The inner-scene heaven and earth of a dead person is inherently fragmented. If it weren't for the fact that this person is a Dao Ancestor, I would say that the Dao foundation platform in the center of the city must be an illusion. After all, we have seen so many cultivators fall, from Nascent Soul down to Foundation Establishment; which cultivator's Dao foundation is not shattered when they die? As long as the Dao foundation is complete and intact, no matter how serious the injury, it can be repaired."

Shen Qi snorted, "Busybody, am I very familiar with you? Do I need you to supplement my meaning?"

He always provoked Xiao Su, and everyone was used to it. Monk Xiu of the Wugou Sect chanted a Buddhist name, stopped the two, and said indifferently, "Even the Dao foundation here is actually cut at the waist. I sat by the high platform for a month and finally sensed the Dao foundation level in the dark. From here upwards, the high platform only has five levels."

Only five levels, how can it be called cut at the waist? Li Pingyan could not help but have a trace of confusion on his face. Ruan Ci saw it and whispered, "All Dao Ancestors must have twelve Foundation Establishments. The level we are in now should be the second level. There is another level below where Qi Refining cultivators and mortals live, but I don't know if there is a Dao contention there."

Speaking of the twelve Foundation Establishments of the Dao Ancestor, among the eight, only Ruan Ci, Xiao Su, and Monk Xiu had no look of shock on their faces. The other disciples were obviously hearing it for the first time. They all focused for a long time before thanking Ruan Ci and Monk Xiu, "Thank you, fellow Daoists, for your guidance."

Over these three months, everyone had cooperated sincerely and exchanged what they had, and each had gained a lot. Even though there was no clue about leaving the city, the relationship was much more harmonious than three months ago. Senior Brother Pu of the Liuming Hall smiled, "The Dao foundation is cut, and the part above the Dao foundation has no root nourishment, so it will sooner or later dissipate like smoke. It seems that we still have a chance to get out of this illusion. Even if it is a Dao Ancestor illusion, what can it do? In the end, it only has Foundation Establishment power. Once we find the eye of the array, we can master this array, catalyze the gate of life, and return to the shore. — It seems that Senior Brother Su's idea is very reasonable. We might as well treat this place as an illusion array to deal with. When the Jade Dew is born, we will spend our energy on the battlefield, or even pretend to join the city defense team. When the great battle comes, once the Jade Dew is born, we will immediately join forces to seize it."

Xiao Su immediately said, "Absolutely cannot join the city defense team. A Dao Ancestor-level illusion array, even if given a sliver of a flaw, will take the opportunity to bewitch the mind. However, apart from this, Senior Brother Pu's view is what I wanted to say."

If they followed Xiao Su's line of thinking, the eight of them only needed to join forces to break into the battlefield when the Jade Dew was born and seize it together, and they could break the array with this. As for the subsequent contention for the Jade Dew, they could wait until they reached the shore. This required a certain degree of trust among the group, and it was best to agree on how to dispose of the Jade Dew afterwards. Senior Brother Pu had obviously thought about it long ago. He nodded slightly to Xiao Su and continued, "For three months, we have formed a deep bond of kindness. After reaching the shore, I am also willing to give up the contention for the Jade Dew. I only need the fellow Daoist who finally obtains the Jade Dew to share one-tenth of what was bestowed by the sect with me."

Everyone in their hearts was clear: he considered that his strength was not the first among the eight, and the possibility of obtaining the Jade Dew was very small. To say that dividing it into eight equal parts was a bit unreasonable; just wanting one-tenth was better than nothing.

This proposal was just right. Senior Sister Mu said, "I am the same. The knowledge gained in Hengze Heaven this time is more precious than the materials that can be exchanged for the Jade Dew. I know that my cultivation is not as good as yours, so I only want one-twelfth."

It was a step back from Senior Brother Pu. Li Pingyan hesitated slightly and also said, "I am the same as Senior Sister Mu."

Junior Brother Fan smiled, "If Senior Brother Ci gets the Jade Dew, I don't want anything. If Senior Brother Su gets the Jade Dew, I want one-eighth."

He directly limited the candidates for obtaining the Jade Dew to the two of them, which was not wrong, but it seemed to ignore Shen Qi. Shen Qi snorted and said, "I didn't come for the Jade Dew in the first place. No matter who gets the Jade Dew, as long as they have a fight with me, I won't fight them for it."

Monk Xiu chanted "My Buddha is merciful" and smiled, "A monk has few desires. As long as I can get out of this heaven, I will be satisfied. The fate with all the donors this time is the greatest harvest."

The six had all expressed their positions, leaving only Xiao Su and Ruan Ci who had not spoken. Xiao Su looked at Ruan Ci with some playfulness, as if saying, 'You see, you didn't buy my helper before, and now the price you have to pay is greater. If you had bought me at that time, today we two would join forces, why would we need to share with others.'

Ruan Ci smiled slightly. She actually didn't care about spiritual materials and precious medicines at all; she couldn't use most of them anyway. As for Lin Xianen and others, in terms of aptitude, they were naturally incomparable to these friends in front of her. Paying some precious materials in exchange for the friendship of both sides was not a loss. However, this consideration did not need to be known by others, and she could not fully agree to this request.

"I do want the Jade Dew, and I am willing to make friends with you all." She skipped Xiao Su and ignored him, making a promise to the other six, but the atmosphere was not completely peaceful—Xiao Su's strength was firmly in second place, and he did not join, so this alliance could not be truly implemented. "As for Senior Brother Su, we will talk about it privately later."

Xiao Su smiled, seemingly not opposed, and was about to finalize the details of the plan when Ruan Ci stopped everyone again, "But I think the Hengze Jade Dew will not be born on this battlefield. If we plan like this, then everyone will really be kept in this Hengze Heaven for a long time."

Everyone was naturally puzzled and asked for advice with an open mind. Ruan Ci did not put on airs and analyzed carefully, "Hengze Heaven is transformed from the inner-scene heaven and earth of a Dao Ancestor. All fellow Daoists know this point, so what are the remnants of the inner-scene heaven and earth actually? Everyone knows in their hearts, it is—"

"It is the unforgettable things in the life memory! It is the biography of the cultivator's life!" She was halfway through her words when Xiao Su had already lightly clapped his palms. Junior Brother Fan was the first to shout, "Senior Brother Ci has truly unique insights. Correct, correct, what we see now is the shadow of the past, but..."

His support for Ruan Ci had become almost blind after three months of getting along. At this time, he was halfway through his words but could not continue, as if he had realized something, but could not say it out loud. He couldn't help but scratch his head in anxiety, and a sickly crimson flushed his face. It was Li Pingyan who interjected, "I understand a little—just now Senior Brother Su said that even for a Dao Ancestor, setting up an illusion array requires following certain rules. The intersection cycle between Hengze Heaven and Langhuan Zhou Heaven is only one year. We can treat this one year as the length of all these memories. This play is at most one year long. This is one of the rules, or it can even be said that it is at most eight months, nine months, because this illusion array only starts from the moment we step into the eight city gates, and ends when the destination of the Hengze Jade Dew is determined."

He had been listening to everyone's words just now, and at this time, he had integrated them, and he was also organized, "The second rule is that the eye of this illusion array must be an object of great significance in the illusion array, especially an illusion array that can confuse a large number of cultivators of the same rank. In order to reduce the consumption of the array master, it must be reasonable. The eye of the array is also the most important object in the illusion array, or it appears at the most important moment. Only then is it reasonable."

Brilliance flashed in Senior Sister Mu's eyes, and she shouted, "I understand!"

Then there was a trace of annoyance, as if she was dissatisfied that her magic power was about the same as Li Pingyan's, but her aptitude was inferior. She clearly had a deeper understanding of illusion techniques than Li Pingyan, but she was a few beats slower than him to realize the truth. However, she was also quite graceful and did not compete, signaling Li Pingyan to continue.

Xiao Su smiled at Li Pingyan, quite appreciative. Junior Brother Fan and Monk Xiu were already fascinated. Li Pingyan continued, "As for the third rule, it is actually not a rule of the illusion array, but the law of the inner-scene heaven and earth. The inner-scene heaven and earth reproduces life memories, which cannot be faked. Then the Hengze Jade Dew cannot be born in the Dao City layer we are in, because in this Foundation Establishment city district, the Dao City is actually dominant. According to what we have seen, if there is no special change, the Dao City will eventually win in the Foundation Establishment city district."

"But we also know that the final result is that the Dao City eventually lost this Dao contention. It is very likely that the end of this play is that the Dao City's Dao foundation was cut. This is the special change." Ruan Ci took over the conversation, "We have said before that the results of the Foundation Establishment cultivators are completely meaningless to the overall situation. Above Foundation Establishment there is Golden Core, above Golden Core there is Cave Heaven, and above Cave Heaven there is Dao Ancestor. Now it seems that in our layer, the Dao City did win, but I am afraid that at a higher level, the Dao City lost miserably. The Yin-Yang Five Elements Dao Ancestor cut off True Person Hengze's Dao foundation, leaving the remnants of his inner-scene heaven and earth here. That is the most important moment of this play. The eye of the array will only appear at the moment the Dao City truly begins to collapse. No matter at which level, it will not be in this Foundation Establishment realm that has no influence on the overall situation."

The previous words, everyone could deduce. Ruan Ci only said half of it, and everyone had guessed the general idea. At this time, there was no surprise, only sighing, but Ruan Ci's words were not finished yet. The next words were only known to her.

"Before at the Yiyunbei ferry, I heard that someone excavated a secret realm in Huangshoushan. Huangshoushan is actually transformed from the head of a phoenix. We all bypassed the vicinity of Huangshoushan and know how majestic and continuous this mountain is. What kind of great battle could cut down a phoenix? Why is the entrance to Hengze Heaven in the Baoyun Sea? Why has there been only one entrance to the Baoyun Ferry for millions of years, which is through the Fengfu River? Yiyunbei, what is the phoenix head looking at?"

Ruan Ci said faintly, "When I put on the silver hairpin and walked into the city gate, I vaguely heard a phoenix cry. How rare are innate phoenixes? Only a Dao Ancestor is qualified to raise it. I think only a Dao Ancestor is qualified to use the vast forest area like the Green Jade Bright Hall as a place for the phoenix to drink water. Until today, in the southeast of our Central Continent, monsters are still dominated by snakes, insects, and birds. I think countless years ago..."

"Those snakes and insects are the bait for the phoenix, and the monster birds are transformed from the essence of the phoenix. The Green Jade Bright Hall is the place where the phoenix drinks bamboo leaf spiritual dew," Li Pingyan whispered, a trace of realization appearing on his face, "And Yiyunbei is the place where the owner of the phoenix head stayed before the phoenix spread its wings and flew high... The place where Hengze Heaven manifests is connected to that innate phoenix everywhere. The Hengze Jade Dew is very likely to be born at the moment the phoenix is cut down!"

Ruan Ci said coldly, "Correct, an innate phoenix is at least at the Cave Heaven cultivation level. It might have died beside us, but if we only stay at the current level, we will never be able to touch the Hengze Jade Dew. If we want to seize the Hengze Jade Dew and return to the Langhuan Zhou Heaven, we must first find a way to cross over to the Cave Heaven level, and survive in the great scene of the phoenix's fall, only then can we have a sliver of hope."

Following her and Li Pingyan's words, expressions of yearning could not help but appear on everyone's faces, as if they saw the scene of the Eternal Dao City standing in the southeast corner of the continent hundreds of millions of years ago, above the ten-thousand-mile Bright Hall, with the phoenix flying and its feathers fluttering. But hearing this sentence, they could not help but change their expressions one after another. Senior Sister Mu exclaimed, "How is this possible! How could we survive by luck in such a dispute?!"

Her doubt was by no means unreasonable, but this was not the issue everyone cared about most. Senior Brother Pu shouted, "Let's not talk about this first. How should we cross over to the Cave Heaven level? We have already searched all the noteworthy places in the Dao City, and there is no path at all. Now there is only—"

He suddenly covered his mouth, looking at his companions' faces in surprise. Junior Brother Fan was extremely excited, grabbed his hand, and laughed, "Correct, Senior Brother Pu, we are going to climb the Dao Ancestor's Dao foundation! Climb from the second level to the fifth level! Pass through the Dew-Bearing Plate and cross over to the Cave Heaven level!"

He rubbed his hands together, his face full of impatience, and shouted, "Great, great! Senior Brother Ci, being with you is truly unspeakably great! If I were a girl, even if I killed thousands of rivals, I would definitely marry into your house!"

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Updated, sorry for the wait, everyone, I will send red envelopes to everyone in a while!

Junior Brother Fan uttered tiger-wolf words! It seems a bit gay~

Eating the beef offal pot brought by Dad from his hometown for lunch today~ Happy~

There is no recommendation for the text, it has entered a terrible period of book famine...

. Thanks to the little angels who cast overlord votes or irrigated nutrient solution for me from 2020-09-18 12:06:21 to 2020-09-19 12:03:33~

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Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!